Going Against Everything
by moreAwesomethanyou
Summary: Rose Hathaway is an Alchemist who just found out the love of her life, Adrian Ivashkov, cheated on her. After running out, she meets her savior, a guardian named Dimitri Belikov. She finds herself forgetting her morals and drowned in a bucket of mystery.
1. Date and Heartbreak

**Chapter One**

**Date and Heartbreak**

I looked myself over, then decided to add a little more mascara to my big, brown eyes. My wavy, dark brown hair pooled around my shoulders, reaching just below my chest. I touched the golden lily that was tattooed on my cheek. I decided not to put concealer on it, knowing how much Adrian loved my tattoo. It was the sign of the Alchemists, the group of humans who protected the vampires' secret and protected the humans from knowing that secret. Humans like Adrian Ivashkov, the love of my life. I smiled at just the thought of him. I couldn't wait for our date tonight. It was the day; the day I would finally tell Adrian my secret and - hopefully - give my virginity away to the man of my dreams.

I giggled and looked myself over again. I was wearing a strapless black dress that fitted my curves smugly and black pumps. I looked totally hot. I couldn't wait to see the look on Adrian's face when he saw me.

At eight o'clock, Adrian's black Jaguar XJ Supersport pulled up. I bit my lip in excitement and answered the door for him. There stood by extremely hot, extremely sexy boyfriend, Adrian Ivashkov. He had emeral green eyes and unkempt brown hair, and despite the last name, I knew he wasn't a Moroi. The Ivashkovs were one of the royal families of Moroi, but it wasn't like they were the only Ivashkovs out there.

"Hey, little princess," Adrian said, sweeping his eyes over my body. I blushed under his gaze, as well as the use of his nickname for me: "little princess." He'd told me I was his princess. Adrian wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a breathtaking kiss. I was left breathless when he pulled away. The thought, _He's so perfect_, passed through my mind as we looked into each other's eyes, his shining with so much love and adoration I nearly melted.

"Hi," I replied, trying to catch my breath.

He smiled at me. "Ready to go, princess?"

I nodded and let Adrian - dressed in a black tuxedo - lead me towards the car. I could barely keep my mouth shut the entire ride to the chinese restaurant Adrian was taking me to. Adrian looked at me, noticing how jumpy I was.

"Something wrong, little princess?" he asked.

I bit my lip and shook my head, barely containing a smile. "Nope. Nothing at all, Adrian."

I couldn't wait to finally tell him my secret; the secret that I had kept for three years: I'm an Alchemist. I'd also have to explain about the vampires and such, but I trusted Adrian and knew that he wouldn't tell anybody if I told him not to. I hadn't gotten a new tattoo for years, knowing that this day would come. The compulsion in the tattoo kept me from telling humans about it, but, just like everything else, compulsion wore off. That's why our tattoos needed to be renewed every few years. But now...well, the love I felt for Adrian could fight through any tattoo, and the compulsion was weak. I could fight through though this like I could fight a drunk playboy.

We arrived at the chinese place, and got a nice table. We were completely alone - thank God - and I readied myself to tell him.

"Adrian...there's something I need to tell you," I stated, trying not to blurt it out.

"You're not pregnant, are you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I rolled my eyes. That wasn't possible. We'd never had sex before. Hell, _I'd _never had sex before. "No. Actually...it's a secret. Something that nobody knows besides me and my co-workers."

The eyebrow raised a little more. "Please tell, princess."

"I'm an Alchemist," I blurted out.

He scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion. "A what?"

"An Alchemist," I said, calming down a little. "I keep the secret of vampires safe from humans."

He looked extremely concerned for my mental health. "Umm...princess...are you feeling okay?"

I grinned suddenly, happy. "Actually, I'm feeling very fine. But you can't tell anybody, Adrian. If anyone finds out..." I blanched. "If anyone finds out, I'll be doomed, Adrian."

He slowly nodded. "Rose...I love you. I believe you. Now, please explain, princess."

My smile widened. "I love you too, Adrian. Now, an explanation. There are three kinds of vampires: dhampirs, Moroi, and Strigoi. The Moroi are vampires who use magic and the Strigoi are vampires with no souls. They can't use magic or go out in the sun or go on holy ground." I wasn't religious like other Alchemists. I wasn't an athiest, but I didn't go to church or anything like that. "Dhampirs are half vampires who train to protect Moroi from the Strigoi, and they are called guardians."

Adrian reached over and took my hands. I relished in the warmth he brought when our we came skin-to-skin. It was comforting and loving. "I believe you, Rose. I love you, and I always will. I think your job is fantastic. I'll keep your secret."

I grinned happily and we ate our dinner in peace. I was so happy to finally have told my secret to Adrian, the man who I knew I'd spend the rest of my life with. We would get married and have children and maybe, just maybe, I could get Adrian a job with the Alchemists. It wasn't likely, but damn it, I could try. If Adrian wanted one, that was.

"Why don't we go to a club?" Adrian suggested. "A celebration of love."

I giggled and nodded. Adrian loved clubbing and had been an alcoholic before we'd met. After that, he tried to give it up. He'd been seventeen when we'd met and not in very good condition. I'd been a fourteen-year-old girl who had just lost her parents in a car accident. We found comfort and love in each other, despite the age difference. It was only three years. Now, I was seventeen and he was twenty-one. The age difference no longer mattered. We could get through anything together.

We arrived at the club around nine, and we immediately started dancing and drinking. I didn't want to get drunk, however, so I stopped after five drinks. I knew how to hold my liquor, and Adrian did too. When he saw me stop, he stopped as well. We got seperated a few times, but mostly we danced together. We seperated for about thirty minutes to go mingle with some of the other partiers when we decided to go home. When we got there, Adrian immediately pinned me against the wall, kissing me deeply. I wrapped my arms around his neck, but before long, they trailed to the bottom of his shirt, where they proceeded to tear of Adrian's shirt. I pulled away and admired Adrian's nice body before kissing him again. He got my dress off and before I knew it, we were on the bed, me in only my underwear and Adrian in nothing. Adrian pulled off my underwear and I pulled away.

"Adrian..." I murmured. I knew what I wanted: I wanted to give away my virginity to the man I loved; the guy I loved more than anything or anyone. But something stopped me, something I didn't recognize. It felt like I was about to do something I'd regret later. I knew I was just being paranoid. I loved Adrian. Sure, he used to be the world's biggest player, but now...he hadn't had sex in three years. Just for me. I smiled at the thought.

Adrian was panting, much like I was, and looked at me. "Are you...are you sure, Rose?"

I smiled at him. "I've never been more positive, Adrian."

Just before I was about to let him be my first, the door to my bedroom burst open. I squealed and covered myself with the sheets. Who the hell was in my house. Adrian sat upright quickly. Standing in front of us was a bleach-haired blonde with bright blue eyes. It was the look that got to me, though. One of complete devastation and heartbreak.

"Adrian?" she whimpered.

"Cecile?" he exclaimed. "What the hell do you think you're doing here?"

The girl - Cecile - dragged her eyes from me to Adrian, suddenly outraged. "Me? Really, Adrian? Me? I've been waiting for hours for you to call. _Hours. _And I come here to find you fucking this...this girl?" Her eyes filled with tears. "You said you loved me, Adrian! You said you'd never do this to me!"

"Cecile, I - "

I was the one to cut Adrian off, because I pushed him off the bed, furious. He toppled to the floor, and I took the opportunity to grab my undergarments and pull them on, not the slightest bit embarrassed that I was dressing in front of some girl. Some girl that claimed Adrian loved her. I retrieved my dress and pulled it on, glaring a fierce glare at Adrian.

"How could you?" I yelled. I was so hurt, but that hurt was being overthrown by the anger and resentment I felt. "How the fuck could you do this, Adrian? I was about to give you my virginity, and I find out _this_? You...you bastard! You asshole! I never want to see you again!"

I stormed out of the room, barely hearing Adrian's, "Rose, wait! Princess!"

I ran outside, the moon covered by clouds. I didn't care that I was running barefoot across glass-streaked streets. I'd just had my heart torn out, stomped on, shredded, and set on fire. I sat against a brick wall in a narrow alley and cried. And cried. And cried. My eyes hurt but still, I cried. I had loved Adrian more than anything. I had been sure he was my soulmate. I thought we'd have kids and grow old together and watch our kids get married and hold our grandchildren. But no. Adrian went off, cheated on me, and what's more, I'd told him my biggest secret. Hell, it was the _world's _biggest secret. I'd been about to give my virginity to him. How could someone be so heartless? My chest ached so badly. I wanted to scream my hatred to the world and kill every playboy out there; every guy who had ever hurt someone as bad as I'd been hurt. But I was almost positive it was impossible for anyone to hurt as bad as I was hurting.

I heard steps at the entrance of the alleyway, and then they stopped. I looked up to see who it was, but I was too late. I was pinned against the wall, looking into evil red eyes. I immediately opened my mouth to scream. Strigoi. He clapped a hand over my mouth and newly formed tears streamed down my face.

"Now, now, Alchemist," the Strigoi tsked. "Scream, and I will make your death that much more painful."

I whimpered. No. I couldn't die. Especially not at the hands of some Strigoi. I could barely see the brown irises behind the covering of red in his eyes. His slightly long black hair whipped in the wind as he leaned forward. I was dropped to the floor within seconds, and the Strigoi was gone. I looked to the right, too shocked to get up. The Strigoi was pinned to the ground by a guy. I couldn't tell who, though. I was guessing it was a dhampir, though. The Strigoi fought and finally got the upperhand, restraining my rescuer. The dhampir - I was almost positive it was a dhampir - got up, though, and stabbed a stake into the Strigoi's stomach, pulling it out. Before anything else could happen, the Strigoi ran away with vampire speed. I didn't see which way it went; I was too focused on my savior. I couldn't see much of his features in the dark, but I could tell he was extremely tall and had long, dark hair and dark eyes. He grabbed my arm and gently helped me up. I saw his eyes go straight to my cheek. I recoiled a little. I was never - just like any Alchemist - comfortable around the opposite species. But this guy...well, I felt a little safe in his presence.

"I was driving by when I saw that Strigoi," he finally said, breaking the silence. "Are you okay?"

I nodded, glancing hesitantly around. "Yeah. Fine." I looked into his eyes. They were a dark brown. "I'm Rose Hathaway."

"Dimitri Belikov," he told me. He walked in front of me. "Come on, let's get you safe."


	2. Vampires and St Vladimir's Academy

**Chapter Two**

**Vampires and St. Vladimir's Academy**

I flinched towards the window of the car, trying to get away from the stares of the two Moroi in the backseat. The girl had long platinum blond hair, pale skin, jade green eyes, and a stick-thin figure, like most Moroi. The boy - who was watching me like a science experiment - had black hair, icy blue eyes, and pale skin as well. I could also get a good look at Dimitri, and I was definitely liking what I saw. He had a well-built figure, packed tightly with nothing but muscle, shoulder-length brown hair which was tied in a short ponytail at the nape of his neck, and dark brown eyes. Did I mention that he was tall? For the next few seconds, I completely forgot he was a vampire - or, half vampire - and only focused on how hot the guy was...and how sexy that light Russian accent he had made him. Then my morals slapped me in the face and I looked out the window. It didn't matter how drop dead sexy he was. He was a dhampir. An unnatural creature of the night.

"What's your name?" the blonde finally asked. "I'm Vasilisa Dragomir, but you can call me Lissa. And this is my boyfriend, Christian Ozera."

I glanced back at the two, momentarily surprised. Vasilisa Dragomir. The last Dragomir. The Dragomirs were one of the twelve royal families, once strong and powerful, but now only one remained. The girl sitting behind me. The Ozeras were also royal, but they were shunned, especially those directly related to Lucas and Moira Ozera. Like Christian. Christian was their son.

There was a reason that they were shunned. Lucas and Moira both turned Strigoi. Willingly. Now, everyone thought that Christian would turn Strigoi soon. I didn't care. I didn't like being around Moroi or dhampirs - let alone Strigoi. No Alchemist did. Sure, I wasn't like most Alchemists; I wasn't a religious nut or completely focused on work. I liked partying every once and a while and I liked dating. I was hot. Might as well make use of my body.

I finally answered the Moroi. "Rosemarie. Rosemarie Hathaway. But just call me Rose."

"You're an Alchemist?" Christian asked, not beating around the bush.

I nodded.

"That's cool," he said. "I've heard about them, but not that much. I've never met one before. What do you do?" Curiousity filled his dark features.

I bit my lip as tears filled my eyes. My date with Adrian just earlier came to mind. I'd gave away my secret to him...and he betrayed me. Dimitri glanced at me for less than a second than focused back on the road.

"Leave her alone, Christian," Dimitri said to him. We turned on the road Dimitri drove us on. "Do you know where you're supposed to be, Rose?"

"Umm...no. I'm not on an assignment or anything," I clarified.

"Where do you live?" he asked.

Tears threatened to pour out of my eyes again. Adrian. I had lived with Adrian. I didn't live anywhere. "No...no where." A tear escaped my eye and slid down my cheek. "I don't...I don't know..."

Dimitri was quiet for a few moments. He didn't look at me, but he didn't seem entirely focused on the road. He finally spoke, saying, "We're taking you back to the Academy, then."

"Academy?" I glanced out the window. Most Moroi and dhampirs went to an academy for school. I wasn't sure I wanted to be around so many unnatural creatures. "What academy?"

"St. Vladimir's Academy," Dimitri answered. "That's where Vasilisa and Christian attend school and where I'm stationed, though I'm going to be Vasilisa's guardian after she graduates."

I mulled over this for a few moments. An academy? I'd never actually been to an academy before, though I knew where a lot of them were located. An entire place full of dhampirs and Moroi...I shuddered. Could I really do it? I didn't think so. Just being around these two was freaking me out, though Lissa gave off an air of harmlessness and comfort. Finally, hesitantly, I nodded. I couldn't find the will to say no. And I didn't have anywhere to go, either. I really had no choice.

Dimitri nodded once in response. "I'll set things up with Headmistress Kirova when we get there."

The rest of the trip was in riden in silence, giving me time to think about what happened. Things had changed so quickly, from me and Adrian going on a date to me in a car with two Moroi and a really hot guardian. And Adrian and I weren't together. He never really loved me. I leaned my head against the window and sniffled a little. How could someone be so...heartless? How could you tell someone you loved them and not mean it? I wiped the forming tears from my eyes. I could see Dimitri glancing at me from the corner of his eyes. So were Lissa and Christian. I tried my best to ignore them as we drove to the Academy.

About thirty minutes there, we were pulling through iron gates and into a parking lot. We all got out of the car and Dimitri told Christian and Lissa to get to their dorms and for me to follow him.

"Where are we going?" I asked, trying to keep up with his quick pace and long strides.

"Headmistress Kirova's office," he answered. "She's in charge of the Academy. Hopefully she'll be able to get you a place in the guest dorms to stay." Dimitri gave me a glance. "Have you finished school yet?"

I shook my head. I was way behind in my schooling. The Alchemists figured I'd been getting schooled by someone, but in reality, I hadn't been schooled since they took away my tutor of sorts when I was fifteen. Yeah. I was way behind. I did a little math or English every once in a while on my laptop, but other than that, well...I never liked school in the first place.

His eyebrows knitted together. "How old are you, Rose?"

"Seventeen," I answered.

"We can probably get you put in some senior classes, then. Until we can call the other Alchemists," he added.

I was really hoping they could get into contact with my co-workers quickly. I would also have to inform them that I'd told Adrian the Alchemists' secret, but hopefully I could get some time before I told them. They most likely wouldn't be too happy with me. Alchemists weren't supposed to be able to fight compulsion. I, however, had a stronger resistance to compulsion than most humans.

We arrived at the headmistress's office, and I immediately took a disliking to the vulture-like creature. She had sharp features and gray hair, as well as a tall and slim figure like most Moroi. I had a feeling we wouldn't get a long very well. The vulture glanced at Dimitri from her computer screen and turned her chair towards us. Then she saw me.

"Guardian Belikov," Kirova said, standing up. "Who is this?"

"This is Alchemist Rosemarie Hathaway," Dimitri informed her.

"Rosemarie Hathaway," Kirova repeated. "It's nice to meet you."

"Wish I could say the same," I replied. I was known for my sarcastic and witty attitude, especially towards figures of authority. It made my job kind of difficult sometimes. "And just call me Rose."

She scowled at me, and it seemed like she'd just had the same we-are-so-not-going-to-be-friends realization I'd had minutes before. Kirova turned to Dimitri, who shot me a look. "What is she doing here, Guardian Belikov?"

"I was driving Vasilisa and Christian back here when I saw a Strigoi pinning Rose against a wall. I fought him, but he ran away before I could kill him," Dimitri explained in that faint Russian accent of his. "She has no place to go so I brought her here. I thought we could get her in some senior classes until we could call the Alchemists."

Kirova thought about this and turned to me. "Miss Hathaway, how old are you?"

"Seventeen," I said. I decided to leave out the fact that I hadn't had any schooling for two years. I didn't particularly want to join a bunch of fifteen-year-olds. Especially unnatural fifteen-year-olds.

"Very well," Kirova said. "I'll see what I can do. We'll call the Alchemists tomorrow morning. Today, you can have one of the rooms in the guest building and can join the seniors in their afternoon classes." She wrote a few things down on a piece of paper and gave them to me. They were numbers and classes, and I figured it was which classes I was supposed to go to at what times. "Guardian Belikov, show Rose to one of the empty rooms."

Obediantly, Dimitri nodded and led me out of Kirova's office. Kirova gave me one last scornful look before we exited and Dimitri began talking to me.

"You can join the students for lunch, but you might want to sleep until then," he told me.

I glanced up at the sky. It was completely dark. Then, it clicked. The academies ran on a nocturnal schedule for Moroi convenience. Shit. I hadn't slept at all. I was definitely going to make use of that time.

"So I only have to go to these classes for today?" I asked.

"Yes. Unless the Alchemists say otherwise," he confirmed.

He led me to an empty room, which was actually really cozy. He left me there, and I immediately passed out on the bed, after setting my alarm clock for lunch time. My dreams weren't, unfortunately, peaceful. Instead, I dreamt about my night with Adrian. I dreamed that I caught him screwing Cecile in our bed. I woke up, tears streaming down my face and the alarm clock going off. I shut it off and wiped the tears from my eyes. I missed Adrian, and there was a hole in my heart, but I knew I didn't deserve him. I was extremely glad that Cecile had interrupted. I was glad I hadn't given my virginity - the one innocent thing about me - to that jackass. But Adrian had left a scar on me. A permanent scar. One that not even plastic surgery could fix.

No, because this scar ran deeper than skin.

I hurried out to the commons to get some lunch. I was hungry after my whole ordeal, but I was still a little tired. I hoped that I'd be able to get back to my human schedule soon. This definitely wouldn't be good for my health.

After I got my lunch, I sat down at the only empty vampire. I looked around, but all I saw were vampires, vampires, and more vampires. I quickly returned my attention to my lunch, nibbling at it a bit. Normally I would eat anything at the pace a Strigoi could run, but now, I was too nervous to really eat. A few moments later, I wasn't the only one. Luckily, it was only Christian and Lissa with their trays of food.

"Hey, Rose," Lissa said. "I thought that we would sit with you since you don't know anybody and it might be kind of weird to sit in a room full of vampires."

I nodded. "Thanks, guys."

Apparently Lissa and Christian weren't the only ones with a fascination for me. A red-haired, blue-eyed student - a dhampir, I noticed - joined us. He grinned at me and Lissa smiled at him.

"Hey. Heard the new girl was sitting here and thought I'd join," the boy said.

"I'm not a new girl. I'm just staying here for a few days." Or however long the Alchemists felt like torchering me for. Which, with the reputation I held and people I had grudges against, could be a while.

"Nice." He ate a fry off of his tray. "I'm Mason Ashford, a novice at at St. Vladimir's. You?"

"Rose Hathaway. I'm an Alchemist," I informed Mason.

"A what?" he asked, confused. He had no idea what an Alchemist was, but then, few of the students probably did.

"An Alchemist. I'm a human." I pointed to the lily on my cheek. "The Alchemists' symbol. We keep the Moroi's secret from humans and dispose of Strigoi bodies." I repressed as shudder as I remembered being pinned up against the wall by that...that thing.

Mason's eyes lit up. "Cool." A boy - also a dhampir - sat beside Mason. He had sandy blond hair and hazel eyes. Cute, just like Mason. "Rose, this is my best friend and fellow novice, Eddie Castile. Eddie, this is Rose Hathaway. She's an Alchemist."

Eddie was apparently one of the few who did know about Alchemists and nodded. "Nice to meet you, Alchemist Rose Hathaway."

"You too, Novice Eddie Castile."

He smiled at me. I could tell we were going to be good friends, no matter what species he was. I let them all see the small piece of paper that Kirova had given me. I found out that Mason would be escorting me to all of them and that I'd see Lissa in the first two classes, as well as Christian. It seemed the two were inseperable; not even the school could break them apart. I'd always liked strong people.

"So how do you like St. Vladimir's so far?" Lissa asked me.

I shrugged. "It's nice, I guess. A lot of people. Kirova's kind of a bitch."

The boys choked on their food. Christian said, "You only just now realized that?"

Lissa smacked Christian's arm. "Christian! Leave her alone." She focused back on me and rolled her eyes. "Don't mind Christian. He's always like this."

I nodded and Christian leaned over and nuzzled Lissa's neck. "You wouldn't have me any other way." I felt a pang of jealousy deep within me, remembering what Adrian and I had almost shared. Those two were completely in love, that much was clear. At least he wouldn't cheat on her and lie about loving her, I thought bitterly. My heart ached for Adrian, but not as bad as it had been hours ago. I was puzzled, not that I wanted the heartache. But I felt kind of guilty for not missing him more. I brushed that guilty feeling away and looked at the two.

"Um...guys?" I said. Apparently they'd forgotten they had an audience and Christian had began kissing her neck. Eww. "We're still here."

Lissa blushed bright red. "I-I'm sorry, guys."

Christian growled a little. "Then go away."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes, but in the end the urge won out. The bell rang, signaling everyone to go to their classes. I followed Mason, trying to keep my distance from the other students, to the math classroom, hoping that I'd be able to go home as soon as possible.


	3. Dreams and Delay

**Chapter Three**

**Dreams and Delay**

I couldn't wait for the Alchemists to be called. I wanted to get home and away from all these vampires. But what home, I thought, did I have? It wasn't like the Alchemists were very lenient towards me. If my mother hadn't been an Alchemist, I was sure they would gladly kick me out. But no matter how disrespectful I was or sarcastic or witty, I was a good Alchemist. I'd made good cover stories plenty of times, and when humans and police got involved, I'd always been the one to take care of it. I was pretty amazing. My overactive imagination helped as well.

I was walking back to my room when Dimitri fell into step beside me. I barely spared him a glance, and without looking at him, asked, "Have they called yet?" I didn't forget Kirova's words, however.

"Nope," he replied in that Russian accent of his. It was sexy. I immediately mentally kicked myself for that thought. "Kirova's calling tomorrow." This confirmed what I'd remembered. After a few moments of silence, he asked, "How were your classes?"

"Okay," I answered. "I met these two novices. Mason and Eddie. They're cool, I guess." As cool as evil creatures of the night could be. I shuddered a little, but glancing at Dimitri, I could tell he hadn't noticed.

Dimitri nodded in agreement. "They'll make good guardians one day."

"Maybe they could guard Lissa and Christian," I suggested. I didn't know much about guardians and their jobs - I didn't really care to know - but what I did know was that Lissa and Christian's guardians had to be the best of the best.

"Probably not. I'm already one of the princess's guardians." I was a little shocked to hear this. I didn't doubt Dimitri's skills as a guardian - the muscle he had and the fighting he'd done in the alley said as much - but he seemed young to be Lissa's guardian. I'd never met one quite as young as him. Most of the guardians I'd met were old and experienced ones, often serious and stony. It got on my nerved a lot. "After he parents died - "

"In a car accident, right?" I interrupted, a bad habit I had. It was one that got me into trouble a lot.

Dimitri nodded, seemingly unaffected by my interruption. "Lissa was torn up. A few months later, she ran away from the Academy. She didn't last long, though."

"She ran away?" I gasped. I hadn't heard that. It seemed like something important. "Why would she run away?"

"She was so distraught over her parents and losing her brother...well, we don't know how she got away, but it had to have been something strong. A dhampir probably helped her, but we don't know." He frowned. "We caught her a few weeks later, and her being the princess, we had to let her stay and continue her enrollment at the Academy. I was immediately assigned as one of her guardians."

"How many _molnijas _do you have?" I inquiered curiously. He looked at me, surprised. "You're her guardian. Obviously you have to have some experience." I rolled my eyes.

He was quiet for a few moments. "Six," he finally answered. "I have six."

I was impressed. Again, I didn't know much about guardians, but I did know that having six _molnija _marks at...

"How old are you?" The question was abrupt, but I was actually really curious as to find out how old he was. He couldn't have been older than twenty-five.

"Twenty-four."

Huh. So six _molnijas _at twenty-four. Yeah. He was definitely a badass. "Impressive," I told him.

He gave me a glance before fixing his eyes firmly ahead and changing the subject. "What were you doing before I found you?"

I was a bit confused at first, but then everything came back to me, suddenly and painfully. Talking to Dimitri and being here had made me forget what had happened only hours before. Now it was back. I looked away as I felt wetness seep into my eyes. God, damn it. I could not cry. I could _not _cry. I _would not _cry.

"I was...I was..." I sniffled. "It's not...important, Dimitri." I actually couldn't think of anything more important.

"It is," he insisted, though I sensed a layer of guilt underneath his hard tone. "What happened?"

I sniffled again. Just the thought of Adrian made me want to cry. Could I really talk about it? Damn it. "My boyfriend...my ex-boyfriend, Adrian..." I paused for a moment. "...He and I were going out on a date and...and I...I wanted to tell him my secret. About being an Alchemist. It was so, so hard keeping it from him, so I told him. I told him." A single tear ran down my cheek, one that I hastily wiped away, hoping Dimitri hadn't noticed. "I actually believed him," I whispered. "I can't believe I put so much _faith _into him. How can you lie about loving someone?" A few more tears came out, and I didn't bother wiping them away.

Dimitri's voice was softer when he spoke again. "Tell me what happened."

"We went to the club afterwards and then back home. I was...well, Adrian and I were going to...to..." This was definitely a personal subject Dimitri probably didn't want to hear about. "We were about to when the door...the door opened. It was a girl. She...she was a blonde named Cecile. That's what...that's what Adrian called her." I resisted the urge to start sobbing loudly. "She claimed that Adrian loved her, when Adrian had told me he had loved me since we were fifteen. I guess...this means that Adrian had been cheating on me. For a while. And so I ran away. I ran into the alley and then I got attacked." I shrugged, like what I was telling him was no big deal. "You know what happens after that."

"I'm sorry, Rose," he said after several moments. "I didn't think..."

"It's okay," I said quickly. "I should've known something was up. Nobody can be that perfect, I guess." I rubbed at my eyes. "I was just...well, my parents had just died in a car accident. I was fourteen and lost and I didn't know what to do." I sighed, getting lost in the memory. "Then Adrian came along. He was perfect and everything I'd ever dreamed of. He was able to see right through the walls I put up and was able to see how I truly felt. He was seventeen, so their was an age difference at first, but it didn't really matter after a few years. I think the most important part was that he cared. He really cared." I shook my head. "Or so I thought. I was so naive back then. All I wanted was love and, well...this is where I ended up."

We arrived at the entrance of the guest dorm. I was a bit surprised. I had just spilled so much to some guy - some _dhampir _- I barely knew. He watched me carefully as I stood there. I suddenly felt very vulnerable. I'd just gave away a good part of my past to him. I'd told him how my parents died and how Adrian and I had met, two things that I didn't tell just anyone. After all, there was something wrong with a fourteen-year-old girl dating a seventeen-year-old playboy. I bit my lip a little.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Rose," he finally told me. "Breakfast is at seven. Good night."

I nodded before heading inside. "You too," I murmured.

I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling when I got back to my room. I was still surprised at how much I'd given away to him. And he didn't judge me, like I knew others would have. I was stupid. I was stupid to believe a player like Adrian Ivashkov could change. I was stupid to believe someone like him could love me. I was stupid to think that it would work out. Because it hadn't. What if him and Cecile had also made plans to get married and have kids and hold their grandchildren like we had? I turned around and buried my face in the pillow and cried myself to sleep.

I had been hoping to fall into a peaceful, dreamless sleep, but I should've realized - at least, looking back at the past few days - that I wouldn't be so lucky. I was in a garden. A beautiful garden. There were begonias, roses, lilies, daffodils, and so many flowers and trees. They surrounded me. Below me was lush, green grass, but what caught my eye the most were the soft purple lilacs. There was a pang in my chest as I gazed at them. Since I was fourteen, Adrian had always given me lilacs. He said they beautiful and pure, just like me.

"Princess," Adrian called, emerging from the wall of flowers in front of me. He smiled. "You're here."

I flinched backwards. "Adrian." I gazed into his emerald eyes, hoping and praying that it was not him. "What are you doing here?"

He chuckled that nice laugh. That laugh I'd always loved. "Can't you tell? You're dreaming about me." He looked down at my body, then back into my eyes. "You look beautiful, little princess." I looked down at myself and noticed what I was wearing: a simple but beautiful navy V-neck dress that went to just above my knees. I was barefoot.

Adrian strode forward and leaned down to kiss my cheek. I backed up, before I thought again. This was just a dream. Why couldn't I enjoy myself? At least this Adrian wasn't cheating on me with some girl I didn't even know. I stopped and he smiled again. Now I let him kiss my cheek. It was a sweet, loving kiss. I turned my face slightly so I could kiss his lips. What was I doing? I thought to myself. He cheated on me! Not this Adrian, I reminded myself. He wrapped his arms around my waist while mine wound around his neck.

"I love you, little princess," he whispered to me. "Don't forget that."

"I - "

I was about to respond when I was suddenly woken up. I cursed whatever it was as the dream went blurry and I found myself staring up at the ceiling, the annoying beeping of the alarm clock filling my ears. God, damn it. Why had I set the alarm clock again? My stomach growled, giving me my answer. The clock read six-thirty, and once again, I was surprised when it said P.M. and not A.M. I really hoped that the Alchemist had sent someone to retrieve me, because this schedule was getting really annoying, though I'd only been on it for a day and a half. Not even. I took a quick shower and remembered I had no change of clothes. Shit. In the end, I just decided to wear the same thing.

In the commons, breakfast was being served. I took a few donuts and other food items and sat alone, since Lissa and Christian were nowhere to be found. Mason and Eddie joined me later, and I realized that they weren't that bad, not that I hadn't realized that yesterday. Mason was funny and a lot like me, while Eddie was...well, like Mason. I found myself laughing and enjoying myself with them until Lissa and Christian sat down with us. I was listening to Mason when a voice came on over the intercom.

"Rosemarie Hathaway, please report to Headmistress Kirova's office immediately."

I glanced at my "friends" - if that's what I could call them - and said, "Guess I gotta go."

"Bye Rose," Mason replied. "We'll miss you."

I smiled and left, hoping that this meant they'd called the Alchemists. I jogged most of the way to her office. Inside, she was sitting at her desk, while Dimitri and another guardian were lined up against the walls. He looked like a statue standing there, with a stony look on his face. I focused on Kirova when she looked up at me.

"Rosemarie Hathaway - "

"Rose," I interrupted. "Just Rose."

She narrowed her eyes. "Miss Hathaway, we contacted the Alchemists. Unfortunately, there has been a delay."

* * *

><p><strong>What do you think? Rose is going to have to stay at St. Vladimir's longer? Hope this chapter was good. I don't think it was too short. What do you guys think? Check out my new story that I'll be uploading soon. It's about a poor girl named Rose (obviously) who just lost everything when she meets the Russian prince, Dimitri. I know that lots of people do ideas like that, but I thought it was a good idea. Hopefully I'll have the first chapter put up by today or tomorrow, but I don't know. Anyways, hope you review.<strong>

**Also, I'm going to start adding chapter titles. Not that it's important, but thought I might mention it.**


	4. Royals and Invitations

**Chapter Four**

**Royals and Invitations**

A delay? I gaped at Kirova. What the hell did that mean? I spoke my thoughts aloud. "What the hell does that means?"

"It means, Miss Hathaway," Kirova said in a clipped voice, "that you will be staying here."

My jaw went slacking, hitting the floor with an imaginary _bang_. Finally, I composed myself enough to ask, "Until when?"

"Until they can get an Alchemist over here to pick you up."

For a few moments, silence hung in the air like an ax waiting to be dropped on our head. I was going to stay at this place...longer? How could the Alchemists do that to me? They're vampires. This was one of the times when I really hated my job. Sure, Lissa and - occasionally - Christian were okay. So were Mason and Eddie. That didn't mean they were all okay. Most of them, I was sure, were complete assholes.

"How long will that be?" I asked, somehow remaining calm.

Kirova shrugged, looking completely annoyed. Probably because I was staying. "It could be from a few days to a few months. Until then, the Alchemists want you to continue your education you've began. You are to follow all of St. Vladimir's rules. You may attend church on Sundays if you wish as well." She nodded to Dimitri. "Guardian Belikov, escort Miss Hathaway back to her room."

I was in a daze as Dimitri led me back to my room. This could not be happening. This _so _could not be happening. The Alchemists couldn't be _that _cruel, right? What was so important that they couldn't send one Alchemist to come pick me up? Was I really so hated that they wouldn't mind me having to spend the night at a vampire academy? Well, I decided, time to find out. I took out my phone and flipped it open, scrolling through my contacts until I found someone. I hit the call button and put the phone to my ear.

"Hello. This is Sydney Sage speaking," Sydney said on the other side.

Sydney Sage was one of my co-workers, and only a year older that me. We were okay friends. She made a pretty good Alchemist, and she was highly religious. She took her job very seriously, just like the others. I was unique in the case of the Alchemists.

"Sydney, it's Rose," I told her.

"Rose," she said, sounding surprised. "Where are you? You haven't come in today." Obviously she hadn't heard that the others had left me trapped in a zoo of raging vampire teens.

"You haven't heard?" I asked. "Adrian broke up with me. Got attacked by a Strigoi." I shuddered at the memory. "This dhampir found me and took me back to St. Vladimir's Academy. Apparently there's something important going on with the Alchemists and they can't send someone to pick me up."

"Oh. Well, there was a Strigoi raid at one of the other academies. Pretty bad. A lot of the Moroi there died. Dhampirs, too. We have nearly all of our Alchemists stationed there. The rest are on assignments."

I sighed dejectedly. Of course they're busy. "Thanks, Sydney."

"No problem."

I hung the phone up and stared at the ceiling, lying on my bed. Finally, lunch came around. I did a quick brush of my hair before going down to the commons. The line was horribly long, however, and I quickly found myself getting impatient.

"Hey," a male voice said behind me.

I turned around, bright blue eyes meeting mine. God, damn. If I hadn't already met Dimitri, then I would've thought that this guy was one of the sexiest people ever. He rivaled Adrian's beauty. What beauty? I thought bitterly. That beauty was washed away when he told another girl he loved her. The guy looked at me with a smirk, and I could instantly tell he was a Moroi. Why did vampires have to be so damned hot?

"Hey," I replied, trying to keep my tone calm.

"I'm Jesse Zeklos," he told me, thrusting his hand towards me. "And I'm sure you're Rosemarie Hathaway. Damn. You're as sexy as they say you are."

"Rose," I corrected, not really bothered by his comment. A day hasn't gone by where someone hasn't told me I was sexy or hot. I was use to it by now.

"Rose," he repeated. "A hot name for a hot girl." He grinned and looked me up and down. I cringed a little. The guy might be hot, but that didn't take away the fact that he had fangs. "We should meet up sometime. Get to know each other." There was a suggestive tone in his voice.

I kept an emotionless look on my face. I knew what he meant. Sex. Of course this guy wanted sex. Didn't they all? "Maybe," I said vaguely. I wasn't sure I could get physical with someone right after Adrian betrayed me. Especially if the guy I wanted to get physical with was a whole other species.

Jesse walked with me while I got my lunch, and he offered, "You should come sit with us. My friends would love to meet you."

I glanced at Lissa's table. Lissa, Christian, Mason, and Eddie were already sitting there, probably waiting for me. They would live without me for one day. "Sure."

After we got our food, I followed Jesse to his table. He introduced me to them, but when they started looking at me like I was a piece of meat, I began getting uncomfortable. It turned out that this was the "popular" crowd, and nearly all of them were royals like Jesse. The Zekloses were one of the twelve royal clans, and I'd learned that most royals were snobs. Jesse wasn't too bad. He had two non-royal friends: Ralf Sarcozy and Mia Rinaldi. Ralf didn't have the skinniness most Moroi possessed, and he didn't look as good as Jesse. Not even close. Mia Rinaldi was the boyfriend of Aaron Drozdov, one of Jesse's friends. Mia looked like she was ten-years-old, with blue eyes and curly blond hair. I noticed her sending Lissa some pretty hate-filled looks, and wondered if she and Lissa were enemies. It didn't seem like Lissa possessed many of them. Then again, it could be the loving, worshipping glances Aaron sent her. Jealous, I figured.

"So, Rose," Jesse said, firing up a conversation with me, "how long you staying at St. Vlad's?"

I shrugged. "Until they can get an Alchemist here to pick me up."

Jesse's eyes lit up. He cocked his head to the side like a curious puppy. "An Alchemist? What's that?"

"Humans who keep the Moroi world a secret."

"Ah. I was wondering what you were. You're human." He looked like a scientist who'd just had a major breakthrough.

"Yeah." I wasn't sure exactly what to say, so I stuck with that.

"So, human." Jesse scooted a little closer to me, and I suppressed the urge to move away. "Ralf and I are having a party at my room tonight, and I was wondering if you wanted to join us." He grinned, showing his white teeth and fangs. Sexy. Besides the fangs. "Lots of booze."

A party. Huh. Immediately, I perked up at the word "party" and nearly said yes, but then I remembered who they were, and I hesitated. It could be fun, right? Besides, I deserved it. After what Adrian did to me. After what the Alchemists did to me. Hell, you might as well add what my parents did to me when they left me, alone and helpless with no one but the Alchemists to turn to.

"Sure," I finally answered. "Where's your room?"

"First dorm. I'm on the second floor, first room. B2." He winked. "Can't wait to see you there, human."


	5. Drinks and Bites

**Chapter Five**

**Drinks and Bites**

"Lissa!"

Lissa's name passed the lips of a young-looking Moroi girl. Lissa smiled at the girl. "Hi, Natalie."

The Moroi - Natalie - looked at me, and her eyes widened. "You're Rose Hathaway. The Alchemist."

Wow. It seemed like everyone knew me, and I'd only been there for barely two days. "That would be me," I said, wondering who the girl was.

Lissa took the honors of introducing us. "Rose, this is Natalie Dashkov. She's kind of like my cousin, since her dad, Victor, helped me a lot since my parents died." I could tell she was trying hard not to cringe. "Natalie, this is Rose."

Dashkov. Another royal family. And Victor was the Dashkov prince. I should've expected that the last Dragomir - the Dragomir princess - would know a lot of royals. Plus, I quickly realized that a lot of the royals were snobs, and Lissa was one of the nice ones. One of the only nice ones. She made me forget she was a vampire, and it was like I was just a regular kid talking with her regular friends.

Unfortunately, nothing was ever that easy.

"Hi," I said politely to the girl. She was a royal, and I should show was little respect I had for royals. For any Moroi. Of course, if she was Lissa's friend, I figured I should show her a little more. Plus, she seemed okay enough. Big, innocent jade green eyes, not unlike Lissa's. Long black hair. Pale skin.

"Hi." Natalie focused her attention back on Lissa. "Daddy asked Ms. Kirova if we can leave campus for a while and go to Missoula. He wanted to know if you would come." She glanced at me. "You can come too, Rose."

"When?" Lissa asked.

"Tonight." Natalie blushed a little and looked down at her feet. "It's kind of late notice, but - "

"I'd love to come," Lissa interrupted, smiling at Natalie. She looked at me. "You want to come?"

I shook my head, though I kind of did want to go. "No. Jesse invited me to a party tonight."

Natalie's eyes practically bugged out of her head. "_Jesse Zeklos_? You got invited to a party by _Jesse_?"

"Umm...yeah." I shifted uncomfortably on my feet. Was it really such a big deal?

"He's, like, _so hot_." A look of pure admiration crossed her face. "You are so lucky Rose. I would _kill _to go to a party hosted by Jesse."

After hearing Natalie talk about how hot and dreamy Jesse was - and it turned out that Natalie could say about a thousand words a second - Lissa and I finally got to go to our classes. It was almost like my days back in middle school, when I had a normal life and normal friends and normal problems. Not the case anymore. I couldn't help but blame my parents. If they hadn't gone off and died, then I'd probably still have a normal life. I also blamed Adrian, and I didn't feel sorry about that at all. I clenched my fists. Somehow, the past two days have made me semi-forget about what Adrian had done to me, but it all came back in a wave of emotion. Betrayal. Pain. Hurt. Heartbreak. Anger. I was pretty sure the dominating emotion was anger. I was angry at Adrian for cheating me. I was angry at myself for ever believing his love. Maybe it was just hopeless for me. Maybe I wasn't supposed to be happy. After all, in a job working with vampires, who had the time for happiness and a relationship? Everyone else had realized this, so why couldn't I?

After classes, Lissa came over and helped put on my makeup and choose a nice outfit for the party. She said I had to look sexy for Jesse, but she added that I already did. She just wanted to enhance that look. If anyone deserved to be with someone as sexy as him, it was me.

"Do you have a crush on Jesse?" I teased as she brushed my hair.

Lissa laughed. "Of course not. I could never love anyone besides Christian."

I repressed a cringe. She was happy with Christian, and it was clear they completely loved each other, and I was jealous of that. I wanted to love and be loved like that. Christian and Lissa were meant for each other, but who was I meant for?

"There you are!" she exclaimed when she was done.

"Wow." I had on a stunning red dress, but other then that, I didn't look much different. Lissa had applied minimal makeup, saying she didn't want me to look fake, but it had a gorgeous effect. I loved it. "Thanks, Liss."

"Anytime, Rose." She smiled. "Now off you go."

"Okay. See you later."

"See you."

I easily found Jesse's room. Inside, a party was in process, people laughing and enjoying themselves. When Jesse saw me, he approached me, a drink in hand. It looked like he was already a little drunk, but not by much. "Hey, Rose."

"Hey," I said back.

"You want a drink?" Before I could reply, he ordered, "Hey, Josh! Pour Rose a cup!"

"I, um, actually would rather not have one," I tried to protest. Jesse wouldn't have it.

"Don't deny it. You want one." Actually, I didn't. He seemed to finally realize what I was wearing and openly checked me out. "Wow, Rose. You are definitely rocking that dress. Sexy." He grinned at me, fangs and all.

Once again, I couldn't reply because a drink was thrusted into my hand. I took it warily. I wasn't exactly sure what defined the drink, but took a sip. It actually tasted pretty good, so I took a little more. Jesse grinned at me, seeing my satisfaction.

"Let's play a game, Rose," he said.

I raised my eyebrows. "What game?"

"Truth or dare?" he asked, gulping down the last of his drink. "Hey, Josh!"

In my hesitation, he dragged me over to his group of friends, which included Ralf...what was his last name? Seranade? Sarry? Right. Sarcozy. He was clearly drunk, and I wondered how long this party had been going on. Much longer than I'd been there, that was for sure. I took another drink, hoping to ease away the anxiety that was beginning to build in me. I shouldn't have come, I realized. I should've just stayed in my dorm or gone with Lissa and Natalie.

Jesse put his arm around my shoulders. "Want to start, Rose?"

"No thanks," I told him. "Why not Ralf?"

"Okay." Ralf gave a drunken grin to a Moroi boy and said, "Hey. Truth or dare, Roman?"

Roman grinned back. "Dare, man."

"I dare you to make out with Jessica Hallens."

Jesse gave an appreciative whistle and smirked at Roman. "Whatcha waiting for? Go get her!"

Roman definitely got her. I had to look away, because they were practically having public sex. The anxiety grew, and I downed the rest of my drink. Jesse ordered me another one, and I downed that too. I frowned, deciding I wanted another one, until my sixth cup came, and I decided that was enough. I felt slightly dizzy, as I hadn't drunken much in a few years. I couldn't hold my liquor as well as I could before. Damn it.

"Hey, Rose," Jesse said, approaching me. "Up for one more dare?"

I looked at Jesse, and he suddenly seemed so much more sexier to me. "Sure."

"I dare you to let me bite you."

His words sunk in, and no amount of alcohol could ward off the chill that ran up my spine. I froze. Let him...bite me? He couldn't be serious, but one look at his face said he was. He carressed my neck in the palm of his hand.

"Come on," he crooned. "Just one bite. I swear I'll make you feel like you never have before."

I couldn't move. I was frozen. His lips moved towards my neck until they brushed against my skin when he spoke.

"One bite," he murmured.

I didn't get a chance to respond because his fangs bit deep into my neck, and I yelped at the pain. He bit me! Jesse bit me! The asshole! He drank my blood in pints, gulping it down like I was some sort of treat that he had won or something. Like I wasn't a person who needed the red substance he was currently consuming in large quantities. The world around me spun, little pleasure coming from the bite. It wasn't at all like anyone said it was. All I could feel was pain. Jesse supported me, not allowing me to fall over as he continued to drink and drink, pulling my neck closer to him. Finally, I blacked out from the blood loss.

* * *

><p>"Rose," Lissa called. I could feel her shaking my shoulders. "Rose, wake up." She paused a moment before asking, "You think she'll be okay."<p>

"She'll be fine," a deeper voice assured her. Dimitri.

"What about Jesse?" Lissa asked.

Dimitri's voice hardened as he answered, "He'll be given an appropriate punishment for his actions."

Tired, I just lay there, but I began getting uncomfortable. When a headache started to set in, I pushed myself up and groaned. "What the fuck..." The memory of the bite came back, and I suddenly really wanted to punch something. I held back the urge, though, and let Lissa and Dimitri realize I was awake.

"Rose. You're awake," Lissa said happily.

"Unfortunately," I muttered.

"I'll go get the doctor," Dimitri offered.

When he left, Lissa told me, "I was worried. Jesse sure took a lot of blood from you. And you didn't wake back up when they got enough back into your system." Her jaw clenched. It didn't seem like Lissa could get angry, though now she seemed like she was. "I hope he gets in a lot of trouble for what he did."

I nodded in agreement. "I am never going to a party again."


	6. Moments and Requests

**Chapter Six**

**Moments and Requests**

After a week at St. Vladimir's Academy, I was beginning to lose faith in the Alchemists. I hadn't heard from them since my chat with Sydney, and I was wondering if they'd forgotten about me. I mostly hung around Lissa, Christian, Mason, and Eddie, but I hadn't talked to Jesse since the blood incident. It still made me shudder, thinking that I'd let some stupid, drunk Moroi drink from me. I felt myself getting sick just thinking about it. It was nearly as bad as Adrian cheating on me.

Adrian cheating on me. Somehow, it didn't make me want to cry anymore. It just made me furious. He'd lured me into his web like a spider, and also like a spider, he wanted me for one thing: to satisfy himself. He messed with my emotions, lied to me, and broke my heart to get the one thing he wanted: my virginity. Who knows how many girls he'd been cheating on me with. I doubted it was just Cecile. I felt kind of sorry for Cecile. I wasn't sure how long their relationship had been going on, but she'd been in pain too. Adrian had broken two hearts in one night. Good job, Adrian.

This morning, I woke up and groaned. It was Sunday, and though I didn't normally attend, Lissa had coaxed me into coming with her. She wasn't as bad as the majority of the Alchemists, but she was still semi-religious. I didn't really want to know. I would've been content just sleeping all day. Unfortunately, someone had different plans because someone knocked on my door.

"Who is it?" I yelled, feeling too lazy to get up and see who it was.

"Rose," Dimitri called back. "Open up."

"Don't you have a key?" I asked, hoisting myself up from the bed and moving slowly towards the door.

"Not with me."

I cracked the door open and peeked out at him. "What is it?"

"Headmistress Kirova wants to know how you're doing." He glanced behind me. "Can I come in?"

"Sure." I stepped aside and let him in. "So...Kirova wants to know how I'm doing?"

"Headmistress Kirova," he immediately corrected, sitting down in a chair. I rolled my eyes. He was way too stuck on formalities. "And yes."

"Does she know when the Alchemists are coming?" I asked, sitting on the edge of my bed and swinging my legs back and forth.

Dimitri shook his head. "No, not yet. She hasn't heard back from them. Apparently the raid is still holding them up. It could take them a while before - "

I cut him off. "You knew?" I exclaimed. "You knew why they couldn't come?"

"Not until recently," he answered hastily, probably knowing I'd get mad if he said he did know, though I was nearly positive he wasn't lying about not knowing until recently. "It's pretty bad. The nearby academies are taking extra precautions."

"What about St. Vladimir's?"

"Headmistress Kirova is taking a few precautions, but we are probably one of the safest academies. She doubts the Strigoi will come here," Dimitri explained.

I frowned. "Where's the academy that got raided located?" It was kind of like talking to one of my co-workers.

"Near Sandpoint, Idaho."

"That's not that far away," I admitted. "I didn't realize the acadmies were placed so close together."

"A few of them are, but some of them are widespread." Dimitri swiftly changed the topic back to me. "So how are you, Rose?"

"Fine. Well, as fine as I can be knowing that a vampire bit me and all he got was three days of suspension." I gritted my teeth together. "Just perfect."

"Lissa tried to convince Headmistress Kirova to give him more," Dimitri assured me. "She convinced her to give him an extra two days." He gave me an apologetic look.

"Kirova was only going to give him one day?" I was pissed to learn this. "He _bit _me! He could've killed me! That asshole," I seethed.

"Rose." He put his hand on my shoulder. I glanced up at him at the contact. "We tried our best. But Kirova is the one who makes the ultimate decision."

I gave him a small smile. "You just said 'Kirova'."

He returned the smile. The first smile I'd ever seen on his face. It wasn't much, but it made him look that much more attractive. I didn't think he could get anymore gorgeous, but I was wrong. "I guess I did."

It took me about five seconds to realize how weird the moment was getting. He wasn't getting closer to me, he just kept on staring into my eyes. And I didn't mind all that much either, until I remembered a few very important details. One: he was a dhampir. Two: this was probably going to be really awkward later. And three: why the hell wasn't I moving away?

I did just that. I blinked and leaned back, trying to distance myself from him and figure out what the hell just happened. He did the same, and we both looked at each other oddly for a few moments. Finally, he got up from the chair he'd been sitting in and said, "I'll see you later, Rose."

"You too," I said back, watching him leave out the door. I felt weird. "God, damn it." Life had been so confusing lately.

* * *

><p>I met up with Lissa later on for lunch, after a boring session of church, glaring daggers at Jesse's back as he approached his table, his standard grin on his face. Lissa's face wasn't very nice either as she looked at him. It wasn't a glare, but it wasn't a friendly look either. I wondered if Lissa could stay mad at a person longer than a day. Probably not. Christian caught up with us, catching the look on Lissa's face.<p>

"What's up with - " He followed her look and recognization dawned on him. "Oh. Jesse Zeklos. I get it."

I glanced at him. "You heard?"

"Who hasn't?" He shrugged, and my jaw nearly fell open. People knew about the bite? "Lissa told me after you got out of the clinic." A scowled crossed his face. "One day Jesse's crimes will catch up with him."

"Hopefully," I muttered. Glancing at his table, I realized it probably wouldn't happen any time soon. People like Jesse, no matter what they do, will always have people to back them up. "Is Jesse always like this?"

"An asshole?" Christian asked. "Yes."

"He should've gotten more time," Lissa insisted. "It's not fair."

"Kirova doesn't like me," I pointed out. "It could just be something to make me run away or something. I'm surprised though that she didn't talk to the Alchemists after the incident." If Kirova wanted me out, then she probably would've talked to them. Yeah. I'd had more than enough confusion for one day.

Christian shrugged. "Maybe she forgot."

"Maybe," I said. I didn't really think that Kirova had forgotten though. I knew from personal experience that it was pretty hard to forget a person you had a grudge against. I didn't know what I'd done to Kirova - actually I was pretty sure she just instantly disliked me - but if she held a grudge against me, I didn't think she'd forget her plans to get rid of me.

I would've been happy if she'd wanted to get rid of me, because I wanted to get out of this place. I just wanted to go live a life where I didn't have to worry about confusion or any of this shit. How they did it, I wasn't sure. Why couldn't I have just been born to a normal, human, naive family who had no idea that there was a whole other species walking the earth?

Well, I guess I wouldn't be Rose Hathaway if I had a normal life. But being Rose Hathaway was pretty hard sometimes.

* * *

><p>A week after that, I found myself knocking on the door that led into Kirova's office. It was the week. <em>The <em>week. I swallowed my tears as I barged in. Kirova looked up from her papers and glared at me, not liking the intrusion. "Yes, Miss Hathaway?" she asked.

"I was wondering if I needed to have permission to leave campus," I explained.

"No, but you need to consult me before you do." She raised an eyebrow, watching me. "Is there somewhere you need to be?"

"Yes," I affirmed. "Casper. Casper, Wyoming."

"If you're traveling that far, you may want a guardian to escort you," she suggested. "You'll need one to drive you there, anyhow."

"Who will be my driver?"

A few hours later, I learned my guardian would be Guardian Stan Alto. I also learned a few hours later that Guardian Stan Alto is an asshole.

"Okay," I told him, "I need to be there by tomorrow, and I figure I'm going to be staying there for a day or two."

"A day or two?" Stan exclaimed. "I students to teach, Miss Hathaway."

"Yeah? Well I have two dead parents," I snapped. "I think you can make room for that, _Guardian Alto_." I said his name with a bitter tone.

He grumbled the entire while he got in the car and made arrangements and light conversation with the gate guards. When I snapped at them to hurry up, they glared at me and began actually doing their jobs. I made four new enemies. It had to have been a record for me.

"Finally," I mumbled when we were finally on the road.


	7. Memories and Tears

**Chapter Seven**

**Memories and Tears**

The scenery flashes by in a blur, almost like a dream, as Stan drove me to Casper. I gulped. We stopped on the way a few times, but only for food, gas, and bathroom breaks. I mostly had him stopping for food so I could chew on it, trying to distract myself from the anxiety and nervousness in me. It didn't work. I knew from the beginning it wouldn't. Nothing could take away the anxiety of visiting my parents' graves, knowing that I could've prevented their deaths. It made me feel guilty for ever blaming them for dying. It wasn't their fault. It was mine.

When we finally reached the Highland Cemetery, I made Stan wait in the car while I sought out my parents' graves. I knew their location by heart; I could find them blindfolded. They sat side-by-side. My mother's was first. It read:

_Janine Hathaway-Mazur_

_1967-2004_

_Beloved Mother, Wife, and Sister_

My mother had been Janine Hathaway, and I got few features from her. She had been Scottish, and she'd had curly auburn hair, brown eyes, and had been short - only around five feet in height. What I had gotten from her was her curvy figure, and I was forever grateful for it. She had been dedicated to her job, but she loved me as well, and tried to show it whenever possible.

My father's grave was beside my mom's. It read:

_Ibrahim Mazur_

_1963-2004_

_Beloved Father, Husband, and Brother_

My father had been my mother's opposite, but they'd been meant to be. Ibrahim Mazur - more commonly just called Abe - had been Turkish. I'd gotten most of my physical - and nonphysical - traits from my father. He'd had black hair, a goatee, and brown eyes. He'd been fun-loving, stubborn, and playful, but could be fiery when he wanted or needed to be. My father could be very scary.

And sitting there, looking at their graves, the memories flowed back to me. How it was my fault...why it was my fault...

"Mom!" my fourteen-year-old-self whined, trying to brush my hair and convince my mom of something at the same time. "I'm only going to Sarah's. I've gone there a million times. Why not make it a million and one?"

"Because," Mom answered sternly. "It's late tonight. You don't know what's lurking out there, Rosemarie."

That was always the excuse. I didn't know what was lurking out there. Of course I knew what was out there. Strigoi. Evil vampires who roamed the night looking for victims to drain. Sure, it freaked me out, but my mom and dad always managed to make me feel safe. I'd always thought my parents' jobs were pretty cool. They were Alchemists. They helped keep vampires a secret and wore golden lilies on their cheeks. One day, I would be an Alchemist. I couldn't wait. It seemed like so much fun. I'd get to do missions and save the world.

"Yeah, yeah," I mumbled. "I know what's lurking out their, Mom. Come on. You really think something's going to happen? The chances Strigoi are going to specifically attack us are, like, nonexistent."

"Rose." Dad finally made his appearance, giving me a stubborn look that I returned. We were so alike, we fought like siblings. "Your mother said no, so the answer is no."

"But _Dad_!" I cried. "You've gotta understand. You're depriving me of needs. _Needs_."

Dad raised an eyebrow. "Needs, you say?" He had kind of a Turkish accent, since he used to live in Turkey. I'd visited it once, and it was super cool. "And what might these needs be, Rosemarie?"

"Social needs, Dad. I gotta feel alive, Dad. What happens when you're dying and you say to yourself 'I wish I would've just let Rose go to Sarah's house that one night.'"

Dad looked amused. He had always said that I could run my own comedy show. "I doubt I'll be thinking that, Rose."

"Just let me go!"

"No."

"Fine," I grumbled, storming into my room and grabbing my cell phone. I scrolled through the contacts and found Sarah's number. I pressed the call button and waited about four rings for her to answer.

"Hey, Rose," Sarah said. "You gonna be here soon?"

"No," I told her. "Mom said no, and Dad sided with Mom."

"Man," said Sarah, sounding extremely disappointed. "I had our whole night planned, too."

I rolled my eyes. "She means well, Sarah. I just wish she'd understand that I know what's out there." Sarah didn't know, but she could believe whatever she wanted to.

"Yeah," Sarah agreed, though I had the feeling that she was rolling her eyes. There was some shuffling and inaudible voices in the background before Sarah said, "Hey, Rose? Tyler wants to talk to you. I'm gonna give him the phone."

My heart leaped. Tyler Hart was Sarah's sister, and he was totally hot. Like, rivals-the-surface-of-the-sun hot. Like, could-wear-nothing-in-Antarctica-during-the-winter-because-he's-so-hot hot. And he was single, and I was pretty sure he liked me.

"Hey, Rose," Tyler greeted me. "What's up?"

"Hey. Nothing. My parents won't let me come over. They think it's way too dangerous. They apparently don't think I can take care of myself," I complained to Tyler who, like his sister, knew nothing of what was really out there. He might be hot, but I made a promise not to say anything. They expected me to keep it.

"That sucks." He sounded dejected. "I was really hoping to see your pretty face tonight."

I giggled. "Well, you can see my pretty face on Monday, Ty."

"But that's so long," he whined. "I need my fix, Rose."

"Your fix?" I asked.

"My _fix_."

We both started laughing, and when we finally stopped, I said to him, "I guess I'll talk to you later."

"You're hanging up on me?" Tyler asked.

"Yes. Yes I am," I answered. "Good bye."

"Bye, Rose."

I hung up and looked at the ceiling. It's not like if we went we'd get attacked by Strigoi in the ten minutes it took to get to Sarah's house and the other ten minutes it took to get back. My parents weren't usually overprotective, but at night, it was a whole other issue. It sucked.

"Rosemarie!" Mom called from downstairs.

"Yeah?" I yelled back.

"Come here."

Begrudgingly, I got up from the bed and made my way downstairs. Mom was in the kitchen, but she wasn't doing anything of importance. She nodded when she saw me, like I was one of her co-workers or something.

"Yeah, Mom?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips.

"Rose..." She hesitated, like she was looking conflicted about something. "I've...decided to let you go."

"Let me go?..." I refused to let myself become too hopeful, in case this was just a trick or something.

"To Sarah's house." She sighed, and it sounded like a defeated one. "Your Dad convinced me that you're old enough to take care of yourself and, well, the chances of the Strigoi getting to us are very slim. Casper's Strigoi population is lower than average." She frowned, and I hoped she wasn't going to start one of her lectures. "Anyhow, I've decided to let you go, so go get ready and your father and I will drive you there."

I honestly didn't know who else would drive me there, but I ignored that, happy I got to live my social life, especially if living my social life meant being with Tyler. Maybe tonight would finally be my chance. Maybe he'd ask me out. I grinned to myself just thinking about it.

Half an hour later, I was ready to leave. I'd packed a bag to go, making sure I had my cutest clothes, and ran out to the car, where Mom and Dad were waiting for me. Mom didn't look too happy about driving me, and Dad looked like...Dad. He didn't seem like he had an opinion. And I was just fine with that.

"Come on," I insisted. "Let's go."

The drive to Sarah's house took ten whole minutes. Ten agonizingly long minutes. Ten minutes I sat giddy in my seat just wanting to get there. My parents were all business as we drove, watching the surrounding area for Strigoi. I sighed. They could've made good guardians...if they were dhampirs and not humans. I shivered. The thought of my parents being half vampires made me a little sick to my stomach.

Finally, we were there. I bounded out of the car and up the steps and knocked on Sarah's front door. I hadn't called them, because I wanted it to be a surprise. I glanced back. My parents were still there, like I knew they would be. They mean well, I reminded myself.

Sarah appeared at the door with a confused expression on her face. That quickly changed to one of surprise as she enveloped me in a hug. "Rose!" she exclaimed. "You're here!"

"Yep," I agreed, laughing at her expression. "Come on. Let me in."

Mom and Dad left when I got inside Sarah's house. Tyler grinned when he saw me. "Rose. I knew you wouldn't let me down."

"I didn't come for you," I teased.

"I thought you said you weren't coming?" said Sarah.

"Yeah. After my phone call with you Mom said she changed her mind. I didn't call you. Wanted it to be a surprise," I explained. "So what are we doing?"

After watching a few movies and dressing up in each other's clothes and makeup, Tyler finally decided he wanted some quality time with Rose Hathaway. He called my name and invited me into his room, and my heart nearly skipped a beat.

"Yeah, Tyler?" I asked. What would he do?

"Hey, Rose." He seemed nervous as he moved his deep blue eyes to look into my own. "I, um...kind of wanted to ask you something." He moved a little closer to me, but didn't invade my personal space.

"What?"

"If you would...if you, um, I wanted to know if you'd go out with me." He blushed, and that made him ten times hotter than before. "I understand if you don't want to - "

"Of course I'll go out with you," I interrupted. "I thought you'd never ask."

Relief flooded his gaze and he stepped forward to hug me. "Thanks, Rose."

"No problem."

He pulled back from the hug, but not by much. He stared into my eyes, and my heart pounded as he leaned forward and put his lips on my own. I wasn't exactly sure what to do. This was my first kiss. My first real kiss. I didn't really get the chance to do anything because he pulled away just as his parents called up to me in a frantic voice, "Rose!"

It sounded important. I pulled quickly away from him and ran down to his parents, Sandra and David. Their faces were pale and fearful, and I knew something was wrong. I felt the blood drain from my face as I asked, "What?"

Wordlessly, they pointed at the TV screen, and I knew I'd never forget that moment. The moment they showed my dead parents on the TV screen. The moment they showed the accident and the damage to the car the accident had caused. The moment I fainted because I couldn't believe what I saw. They were dead. I would never see them again.

And then I was back, looking at my parents' graves. They died all because of my selfish wants, because I couldn't handle not seeing my friends for two days. Two fucking days. I couldn't wait that long? I didn't notice the tears until they were already streaming down my face. This wasn't right. They shouldn't be dead. They should be alive, and I should be at home with them, begging to go to the movies or to some party. This wasn't how it was supposed to turn out.

Nearby, a wild flower patch grew and I picked a few of them, sprinkling the flowers over their graves. I sniffled and quickly wiped away the tears, not wanting Stan the Ass to know I'd been crying. Wordlessly, I got in the car and we drove away.


End file.
